DOE launches civil rights probe into FSU's race and gender-based scholarships

A federal civil-rights investigation has been initiated against Florida State University after the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights received a complaint targeting 32 scholarship programs. The Equal Protection Project’s filing alleges that many of these awards specify donor preferences for African-American, Black, female, or other protected-class students, potentially breaching Title VI and Title IX. FSU responded that every student is eligible to apply and that donor preferences are not binding eligibility requirements, emphasizing that the funds come from private donations and are awarded on merit.

The DOE’s August 4 letter lists the contested scholarships and notes that, as a recipient of federal aid, the university must comply with civil-rights statutes. While the investigation is still in its fact-finding stage, the Equal Protection Project’s founder, William Jacobson, called the probe a significant development and urged state officials to review the programs. No determination of violation has been made at this point.